Friday, October 9, 2015

Then Came You - Jill Shalvis (Berkley - July 2014)

Series: Animal Magnetism (Book 5)

Veterinary intern Emily can't believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship.

Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn't just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans...

What happens in Reno doesn't necessarily stay in Reno. Emily is a recent vet school graduate who is set to be an intern with a practice in Sunshine, Idaho. It isn't the internship she wanted, as she had also applied for one in LA, which was closer to her father. But she'll do the job required to fulfill her vet school scholarship, even if it means a year in the middle of nowhere. She gets a real shock when she discovers that one of the vets she'll be working with is the sexy guy she had a one night stand with at a vet conference in Reno. Getting involved with him isn't part of her life plan. Emily is a woman who has reacted to the ups and downs of her life by laying out a plan she is determined to follow, a way of keeping control of her life. Wyatt is a complication she doesn't need and is determined to ignore. 

Wyatt hasn't forgotten the woman he met in Reno and is surprised to see her in Sunshine. The attraction is just as hot as it was then, but there are obstacles. Emily is a woman who, in his words, already "has one foot out the door". He grew up with parents who were constantly on the move and as a result, has craved putting down roots of his own. He has settled in Sunshine, in the house his grandparents left him, and has no desire to leave. He's already been burned once by a woman who chose her career over him and has no wish to risk his heart on another such woman. 

The chemistry between Emily and Wyatt is explosive. No matter how determined they are to keep things professional, they just can't keep their hands off each other. Outside of the physical connection, they also get to know each other. I loved seeing how well they work together, and how their differences and similarities bring them closer. I loved seeing Wyatt tease Emily and get her worked up, and how she would sometimes turn the tables on him. It wasn't long before their physical connection turned deeper, but neither wanted to admit it. Emily started to feel like she belonged in Sunshine, but abandoning her plan was something that she had trouble considering, especially since she had no idea what Wyatt's feelings were. Without that, leaving seemed to be the wiser course of action. Wyatt had fallen for Emily, but because he had been given no choices earlier in his life, he refuses to try to influence others' choices, so he doesn't ask Emily to stay. Both of them have to face their personal fears before they can go after what they really want. I did love the ending and seeing how they finally got together.

As always, the secondary characters are as much fun as the main ones. Both Wyatt and Emily have sisters that make their lives even more complicated. Emily's sister has moved to Sunshine with her, escaping from a broken heart. Sara is a lot like their father, less concerned with following a plan than following her heart and doing what feels right. She tries her best to get Emily to see that she is hurting herself by not looking at the bigger picture. Wyatt has two sisters who share their grandmother's house with him. The older sister, Zoe, is bossy and opinionated, but obviously loves her siblings. The younger sister, Darcy, is recovering from a serious accident and has some interesting bouts of attitude. I'm really looking forward to her story, as the sparks between her and AJ are pretty hot. I liked seeing characters from previous books and catching up with what is happening in their lives.

The animals in the book are great. There are patients like Lady, the dog with the odd quirk, and the reason for it, and the parrot with the potty mouth who lives in the vet office. I loved Emily's rescue of the turtle, Sammy, and how it wiggled into her heart. But the one that really got to me was the puppy Woodrow and how she got him. His part in what happened later wasn't a surprise, but one of the players there did surprise me. 

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